Tim Howard, a three-time FIFA World Cup veteran, will not compete for the U.S. national team next year. (Felipe Dana, The Associated Press)

The Colorado Rapids have not only jumped up the MLS standings this year, they’ve also made a big leap in payroll, according to figures released Thursday by the MLS Players Union. A year after being ranked 17th out of 20 MLS teams, the Rapids jumped to No. 6 overall with an annual payroll of $8.49 million.

Colorado’s payroll increased almost $3.5 million year-over-year. That was led by the acquisition of U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard, who is set to make $2.57 million in guaranteed compensation this season, the 12th highest sum in MLS and the most-ever paid to a Rapids player.

The Rapids also broke the bank for Albanian winger Shkelzen Gashi, who will earn $1.66 million in annual salary. Irish international Kevin Doyle, who was the Rapids’ highest-plaid player last season, now ranks third on the team at $1.12 million.

Colorado got a bargain on U.S. international Jermaine Jones, who is earning $650,000. Last year, Jones made $3,052,500.

The Denver Post has compiled a list of the league’s top earners, MLS team payrolls, and how each team spent its money. Navigate through the lists using the links at the bottom of each page.

MLS All-Star Game MVP Kaka of Orlando City SC is the league’s highest-paid player in 2015. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Major League Soccer Players Union released MLS players’ salaries for 2015 as of Sept. 15, 2015. The Denver Post has compiled a list of the league’s top earners, MLS team payrolls, and how each team spent its money. Navigate through the lists using the links at the bottom of each page.

Brazilian midfielder Kaka of Orlando City SC was the league’s top earner at $7.16 million. He was one of 22 players who will take home more than $1 million in guaranteed compensation in 2015, including the Colorado Rapids’ Kevin Doyle. Toronto FC was the top-spending club in MLS, out-spending Los Angeles Galaxy by a final tally of $22.1 million to $21.2 million. The Rapids came in at 17th in team payroll with $5.05 million.

The build up to the Rapids’ first match against former coach Oscar Pareja, who bolted from Colorado weeks after signing an extension, has been a bit quiet. Seeing as it’s the Rapids’ third game in seven days, the focus had been elsewhere up until about 9 p.m. Wednesday night when the final whistle blew on a scoreless draw against the Chicago Fire.

Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni, who took over after Pareja followed his heart back to Dallas, said he hadn’t even begun to think about the team’s trip to Texas when asked on Tuesday, adding that he was still solely focused on Chicago.

Nearly everyone involved, from Rapids President Tim Hinchey to captain Drew Moor to Pareja himself, had nothing but good things to say when the Denver Post’s John Meyer went asking around. Dallas got what they wanted, the Rapids got a coach who bleeds burgundy. “No harm, no foul,” Hinchey said.

But don’t be fooled. Just because there’s no resentment on either side doesn’t mean the Rapids’ players aren’t raring to get a result. And not just because they are facing a Western Conference foe.

In an edition of Press Box Extra, The Denver Post’s Daniel Boniface sits down with Post columnist Mark Kiszla and radio host Peter Burns to break down what went so wrong in the Rapids’ 4-1 loss to the Sounders in Seattle on Saturday.

“They looked good for about the first 45 minutes, and conceded a goal right before halftime,” Boniface says. “Then things fell apart from there.”

They were outshot 20-10 in the game. Up to that point, they had given up only five goals all season.

“[Rapids head coach] Pablo [Mastroeni] said it looked like they were keeping things together, then they lost confidence and fell apart,” Boniface says.

MLS coaches pose for a photograph at the 2014 draft, including FC Dallas coach Oscar Pareja (top row, third from right) and Colorado Rapids technical director Paul Bravo (middle row, far right). Bravo was included because the Rapids are still searching for a coach. (The Associated Press)

Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft became a head-turner early on when Colorado Mines forward Tesho Akindele was picked at No. 6 in the first round by FC Dallas — becoming the highest drafted Division II player in the league’s 19-year history.

“It’s all surreal,” said Akindele, 21. “Right before the combine nobody was talking about me getting picked, definitely not in the first round and possibly not even until the fourth round. Nobody was talking about me. It just shows you how important every game is.”

I know that Real Salt Lake is the chief rival of the Colorado Rapids. And I know that there’s rich, nasty history there. And I know that perhaps no bad play is seared into my soccer memory more vividly than “the one mistake” goalkeeper Matt Pickens made in 2010, according to then-coach Gary Smith, on which the so-easy-to-hate Real Salt Lake striker Alvaro Saborío pried the door open for RSL to keep the Rocky Mountain Cup.

So I’m not saying that competition with Real Salt Lake isn’t a compelling rivalry.

What I’m saying is this: As a fan, there can be no more compelling games for the Rapids this year than those with FC Dallas, the new home of Óscar Pareja. Read more…

Comments Off on FC Dallas: A better bitter rival for 2014 than Real Salt Lake